Fox News Leads Cheers Of Fascism, Socialism In Launching Attacks

Socialism, fascism seemingly merely is a part of how Fox News does business when attacking Democrats, in general, and President Obama, in specific.

Disgusting Facebook Group Speaks Volumes Of The Level Of Hate In This Country

It's rare for me that I "defriend" people on Facebook or get overly upset at what some people do as far as joining groups or liking groups on the social networking site.

For the most part, I recognize that some people are liberal, some moderate and some conservative. In fact, I took a Facebook poll once upon a time that indicated that my friends were almost evenly divided (slightly more liberal) between liberal and conservative. That mostly even split was not necessarily a huge surprise to me.

I recognize that my conservative brothers and sisters typically do not like President Obama (and some hate him ... some hated and disliked him when he was still running against Hillary Clinton in the primary). That's fine. Some people oppose the health care legislation. OK. That is part of politics. Such disagreement is reasonable ... even all the scare-tactic garbage about death panels and pulling the plug on grandma are part of political discourse these days (I reserve the right to change my mind later).

But, some things are disgusting and go well beyond civil politics (and even uncivil politics). One day, as I was looking through one of these feeds that Facebook runs highlighting activities of my friends, I noticed that a number of them had joined a group: "VOTE FOR OBAMA: BECAUSE SOCIALISM WORKED SO WELL IN USSR."

Obviously, I see that as stupid, but whatever.

Here is what made my jaw drop (a statement posted on the group's page ... perhaps symbolic of the group's core values:

DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN

It's a poor attempt at humor that is disgusting and perhaps is indicative of why death threats against this president are up exponentially.

As of April 29, the group was up to 1,172, 331.

What it means reminds me of what a friend I had years ago used to say (excuse the language), "There are a lot of sick fucks in this world."

I could not agree more.

The Politics Of Fear Are Spiraling Out Of Control For Conservatives

The politics of fear, divisiveness, ugliness, anger and hatred sadly were hallmarks of the failed presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

The fear, divisiveness, anger and hatred McCain and Palin attempted to harness, to build a successful campaign toward the White House, failed and merely set the stage for a level of anger we’re seeing today that should put a chill down the spine of this country. Hateful extremist conservatives have ratcheted up the hatred to seemingly the highest political DEFCON-type levels and have directed their disproportionate and misguided anger at President Barack Obama. Many of these same far-right conservatives, who were in full attack mode against President Clinton, then fell back into a soft zone defense during the President Bush years are now running a fastbreak of hate, anger and division against President Obama.

Today, far-right conservatives are attacking with reckless abandon.

As a nation, we witnessed this dangerous emotion throughout last year’s presidential campaign during several rallies put together to support McCain and Palin.

To his credit, near the end of the presidential campaign, it seemed McCain recognized the hatred had begun to spiral beyond control into a dangerous territory.

But, on Tuesday in his home state of Arizona, McCain recently got another whiff of the hatred that was sparked during his campaign. McCain attempted to tell his people that the president respects the constitution, but that he and other Republicans simply had differences of opinion as to how to guide the country. Whether or not that is the simple basis for the anger is debatable, but what is hardly debatable is the angry response that popped McCain upside the head.

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute,” he told the crowd in Sun City, Airzona. “He is sincere in his beliefs, we just happen to disagree. And he is the president. And let’s be respectful.”

A questioner had asked whether Obama realized that the spending priorities his administration is pursuing are “against the Constitution.”

“Doesn’t he know that we still live under a Constitution?” the attendee asked.

“I’m sure that he does,” McCain responded. The crowd, thinking the response was a joke, laughed along.

“No, no. I am serious. I am sure that he does and I’m sure he respects the Constitution,” said McCain.

Shouts of “No” came from the crowd.

“I really do,” McCain pleaded. “I am absolutely convinced of it. I just believe, my friends, that there is a fundamental difference in philosophy and about the role of government. That is why we have competition for public office and competition amongst parties, and competition about different ideas and vision for the future of America. I’m convinced the president is absolutely sincere in his beliefs.”

Moderate conservatives have allowed (by not standing against it strongly enough) this hateful rhetoric (using code words like socialist, socialism, Nazi, Hitler and more) to sow the seeds of hate and hostility and portray the president (as we’ve seen with this ridiculous birther campaign pushed by far-right nuts) as “not one of us.”

This kind of talk is dangerous and is taking this country where it should not want to go.

Another Great Example Of Bias At Fox News

The hatred we see on the right-wing Fox News channel, directed at anything that isn’t favorable to Republicans, long ago spiraled out of control. It was even more evident when some of the Fox and Friends hosts launched an attack on Rep. Barney Frank (obviously, he’s a democrat) who was trying to respond to some aggressive nuts targeting him during one of these increasingly hostile town hall meeting fiascoes we see more and more in the media.

Here is one part:

STEVE DOOCY: Well, give him credit for showing up. But let’s face it, he was downright rude. Somebody asked him a question –

BRIAN KILMEADE (co-host): Smug.

DOOCY: OK, somebody asked him a question, then he said, “On what planet do you spend most of your time?” And then to somebody else he said, “Trying to have a conversation with you would be like arguing with a dining room table.” Barney, they showed up at the senior center in Dartmouth last night for some answers. Give them some answers, don’t give them attitude.

First, the irresponsible and borderline sinister Doocy flat-out fails to put into context the hateful and ridiculous rhetoric (invoking the word Nazis) that prompted that response from Rep. Frank.

They did not show up looking for answers. Their minds are already made up. They showed up eager to spew right-wing hateful venom.

It’s especially sad because how Doocy and company are whining about Rep. Frank standing up for himself there is an image of Barack Obama as Hitler (apparently that did not spark anger in Doocy, Kilmeade or anyone else on the set).

Note to Doocy and Kilmeade, give us some context.

DOOCY: Meanwhile, a health care confrontation like you’ve never seen before. Congressman Barney Frank starts attacking the same people who put him in office.

FRANK [video clip]: Ma’am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.

DOOCY: Oh, yeah, he’s a sweet talker. Is this really the way Democrats are defending their plans for health care — referring to them as dining room tables?

No, this is the way Democrats are defending themselves from hateful labels like “socialist” and “Nazi” from far-right extremists.

DOOCY: Well there were some extraordinary other sound bites that he had. At one point, after a person asked him a question, he said, “On what planet do you spend most of your time?” And then he said, to somebody else, “Trying to have a conversation with you would be like arguing with a dining room table.”

Maybe Barney Frank has spent a little too much time in Washington, D.C., away from real people, because real people have real questions. And rather than answers, a lot of those folks up in Dartmouth last night got attitude.

Do real people insult those (and the family of those) who suffered at the hands of Nazis by referring to people who want health care for all people as Nazis?

When you give venomous hate (as we’re increasingly seeing at these town hall meetings) you should be lucky that someone is classy enough to just give back attitude.

Again, Doocy conveniently ignores the context for Rep. Frank’s comments and lets the far-right crazies off the hook for their ridiculous and irresponsible rhetoric.

Maybe Doocy has spent too much time sucking up Republican talking points and has become so far out of touch with the mainstream. Rep. Frank showed a lot of courage doing these town hall meetings and going on Fox News from time to time (in both cases knowing he is going to encounter far-right bias). This garbage from Fox News proves the bias that has become all too prominent at the biased Fox News.

Honestly, I applaud Rep. Frank for taking a stand against this hateful garbage being spewed by these nuts at these town hall meetings.

Meeting Of The Minds Between Sean Hannity And Sarah Palin Produces Little

Notorious right-wing hater Sean Hannity and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, those two noted intellectual giants, had a meeting of the minds and left much to be desired.

HANNITY: You know but it goes back – It does go back a little to the campaign. I mean, ‘spread the wealth, patriotic duty…’

PALIN: Kind of a ‘we told ya so’.

HANNITY: Well, is that how you feel?

PALIN: That’s how I feel! … And this many months into the new administration, quite disappointed, quite frustrated with not seeing those actions to rein in spending, slow down the growth of government. Instead Sean it is the complete opposite. It’s expanding at such a large degree that if Americans aren’t paying attention, unfortunately our country could evolve into something that we do not even recognize.

HANNITY: Socialism?

PALIN: Well, that is where we are headed. That is where we have to be blunt enough and candid enough and honest enough with Americans to let them know that if we keep going down these roads… nationalizing many of our services, our projects, our businesses, yes that is where we would head.

Truly, it’s a shame Hannity and Palin have so little faith in the strength of the American people and so little trust of the foundation on which the United States of America is built. This country was around long before them and will be around long after all of us are gone.

I wonder if that lack of faith in the United States qualifies as anti-American.

Why do people like Hannity and Palin continue to attack America?

I think the American people are pleased that Gov. Sarah Palin is not vice president – a heartbeat away from running this country. How might Gov. Palin be qualified to pick a U.S. Supreme Court justice when she had difficulty even naming U.S. Supreme Court cases?

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/08/palin-on-obama-administration-we-told-ya-so/

Oliver Willis:
http://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/06/08/the-moron-sarah-palin-rears-her-head-again/